Wee Heavy | AleSmith Brewing Company

0 characters.
We love reviews! Turn your rating into one with ≥ 150 characters. Awesome. Thanks for the review!

In English, explain why you're giving this rating. Your review must discuss the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) and your overall impression in order to indicate that you have legitimately tried the beer. Nonconstructive reviews may be removed without notice and action may be taken on your account.

Notes / Commercial Description:
A classic Scotch Ale. Scotch ales are typically sweet and malty, with a very subdued dose of hops– just enough to provide balance. AleSmith Wee Heavy is a wonderful interpretation of this traditional Scotch style.

Reviews by Dave1999:

More User Reviews:

As really a Barleywine dressed in Scottish Strong Ale clothing- this heavily malted beer extends beyond the realm of anything Scottish and enters the world of cognac, brandy and Scotch whisky but in the most succulent and candied way possible.

Pouring an ominous tawny bronze color, its mysterious haze allows just enough light to pierce that its brilliant depth of colors may be explored. As a slow and deliberate rise of bubbles coat the surface, they are short lived as the slowly creep toward the edge before holding firm through the remainder of the session. With no lace in sight, the ale instead relies on its sugar laden brandy-type legging to adorn the sides of the glass.

Savory, sultry and undeniably masculine, the aromas of black-strap molasses captivates the nose immediately. Its rich and succulent scent is chocked full of chocolate, light coffee, light mesquite, vinous port, rum-soaked cherries, dates, figs, grapes and cashews. Heading into that first sip, its sweet and powerful scents are nearly as intimidating as they are rewarding.

Its incredible sweetness isn't for those that don't have a sweet tooth. Complex in taste- those deep molasses flavors are caramelly, nutty, and woodsy. Venturing past- other complexities keep building. First, there's a rich Belgian chocolate tone that joins with burnt toffee, and then reels in light Kona coffee, rich nutty taste, light campfire and cola. But then the fruity- winy flavors send the complexities into orbit! Rum-like and spicy, notes of dark, dried and pitted fruits offer up cherry, grape, figs and dates that when joined with a particular saltiness- reminds me of teriyaki.

With utmost certainty, the ale is full bodied and with a lush syurpy texture that layers on the mouth without apology. Its masculine strength offers up a warming tartness gives the texture a chewy character with a certain oily viscosity and makes it much more of a savory sipper that a quaffable drinking beer.

I have no problem with this ale being a "mere" Wee Heavy that's scaled up to Barleywine-type proportions. Forget the style. Forget the rules. Forget its origins and inspirations. One sip changes all that and demands that the beer be seen in a special light- one not meant for the mere entusiast.... but for the connoisseur!

RICH! Heavy sweet malt backbone to this one. Hints of vanilla, coffee, and butterscotch here. All is in a nice balance. This would be a great nightcap. One and done on this guy, but you will enjoy every moment of it.

A: Pours an opaque though still clear extremely dark chestnut brown in color (approaching black) with moderate amounts of fine active visible carbonation along the edges of the glass and faint amber + dark crimson red highlights. The beer has a two finger tall foamy dark beige head that fairly quickly reduces to a large patch of thin film covering almost the entire surface of the beer with a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Light to moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate to strong aromas of caramel + toffee malts with a light to moderate aroma of slightly fruity yeast (fig + cherry) and just a hint of almost spicy alcohol.

T: Upfront there are moderate to strong flavors of toasted, roasted, and caramel malts with moderate amounts of caramel, toffee, and brown sugar sweetness. That is followed by light to moderate flavors of dark fruit (fig + cherry) yeast. There is a light flavor of earthy hops which contribute a light amount of bitterness which fades away almost instantly. There is a hint of smokiness and a hint of almost bourbon-like alcohol in the finish but the lingering flavor is caramel/toffee sweetness.

M: Medium to full bodied with light to moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth, almost creamy.

O: Very easy to drink, hiding the alcohol pretty well, and very enjoyable. Not cloying or overly sweet, just enough hops to balance it out. Nice amounts of complexity.

The beer is a dark brown with deep mahogany highlights around the edges when held up to the light. The body this on the lighter side of heavy, but the feel is full and slick.

The smell is a mix of dark fruit, brown sugar, a hint of yeast, and alcohol.

The flavor opens up big with a baseline of dates and figs mixed with caramel. Hints of cocoa come through mid-sip as the alcohol enters the mix, which gives the underlying flavor something of a brandy-like quality. As the alcohol continues to push at the close, the cocoa fades and earthy hops come through.

Appearance: Pours a deep, dark mahogany brown, and forms two fingers of pale tan head with fantastic retention. The head itself leaves almost sheetlike lacing on the glass as it recedes, and the rest of the lacing is appropriately thick as well.

Smell: Thick, heavy toffee and caramel, sweet and bready, rush out of the glass like kilt-clad highlanders in Pictish war paint howling a battle cry as they charge downhill, swords in hand. There's a hint of some raisin in there as well, like the wrinkled old highlander marching behind them, playing the bagpipes, caring not that he's walking into a battlefield unarmed. He's crazy, that raisin. Oh, and you can smell faint leather as well, which makes sense, because baldrics and boots and such. To battle!

Taste: That aforementioned toffee and caramel? It came to fight. Those are the first flavors that greet the tongue, the vanguard of the assault, before the rank and file troops hit as a wall of warm dark bread. Somewhere in the swirling chaos of malty melee, that raisin rings out, like strains of Scotland the Brave played within the roar of battle and the screams of the dying. As the beer moves along, tones of leather and damp, peaty earth appear, fitting for a field of war soaked in sweat and blood. The ABV also makes an appearance towards the finish, a sudden surge of heat as the victors set fire to the homes and lands of the fallen.

Mouthfeel: Thick, creamy, full, rich, and sticky, this latches on to one's teeth and does not let go easily.

Overall: Quite a good wee heavy, with intense malt flavors and just enough earthy bitter, and the mouthfeel and appearance one wants from this style nailed perfectly. The only complaints I have, if one can even call them that, is a relative paucity of dark fruit complexity (I get only raisin from this one), and some unconcealed heat from the ABV. It's still a heck of a wee heavy, and a heck of a beer!

I can't believe I haven't had this beer until today.Pours a deep amber brown with a creamy light tannish colored head atop.Brown sugar and some meatiness in the nose,dark fruit makes it a full on malt dominated aroma.Dark fruit and caramel flavors with more sweet alcohol on top of it,very buttery with mild earth in the finish.A big sipping beer here with great full on flavors.

Appearance  The head came up big then went down quickly, which is typical of the style. The body is a thick, pond-like dark brown.

Smell  This ale is rich in malts and whisky notes. The malts are huge and very complex, consisting mostly of sugared toast and some dark, roasty, stout-like smells. There is a light peaty smoke here along with some dark, juicy fruits. The prune and tobacco are overpowering.

Taste  Man, does this sweeten up at the taste. The chewing tobacco dominates, and is mixed with some juicy prunes and raisins. This is just raunchy. It is so sweet and full of tobacco its amazing. Theres a light hint of the big alcohol but mostly this is like sucking on a leaf of chewing tobacco.

Mouthfeel  This is almost full-bodied with some straightforward, rather harsh sweetness throughout.

Drinkability  I really enjoyed this take on the style, although BJCP might disagree.

T: Delicious malts all around. Very complex malt profile. Some bready notes, but most of all lots of caramel. With a complementary fruitiness, that has a very gentle tart character (perhaps caused by cellaring), I get a sensation similar to hard fruit candy. The finish as mildly bitter with more notes of malts, a gentle roasted note and some alcohol. The alcohol is nicely hidden and well integrated.

M: Medium body with a slick texture.

D: A well crafted beer. Very impressive malty profile and surprisingly easy to drink.

25.4oz bottle, dated 7/1/14, drank on 3/12/16. Pours slightly hazy red with a medium sized off-white head; some lacing on the glass. Smells of caramel, sweet malt, and some dark fruit; very pleasant. The taste is less intense and has lots more dark fruit and some oxidation (paper, sherry); reminded me of a Barleywine. Good amount of dryness in the finish. The age seemed to significantly weaken/change the flavor. Great thick body and below average carbonation. Overall, I'll try to revisit this one again since it seems like a very promising Scotch Ale.

One of the most enjoyable wee heavies I've had in awhile. Nose is soft, but reveals a rather complex union of bready biscuit malt, rich medium-dark caramels, and hints of a leathery peat. The taste is more of the same, as fully toasted malts finish with dark caramels balanced by just enough hops to eliminate any cloying but also not make it bitter. It also softens up a bit as it warms in the glass, adding touches of toffee and lighter caramels. This is one fine beer.

Taste: Creamy and smooth with a slick back to it, faint undertones of roasted grain and a slight smokiness make themselves known first. Rich malty palate of caramel and mild ripe fruit runs across the taste buds. Alcohol is a well perceived presence but not in any over the top way, just with a mellow warmth and trace fusel alcoholic flavours. Bit of bready malt upfront is mostly lost in the end, the end seems more of a mix of the alcoholic strength and the ripeness it has transformed the byproducts into. Trace roasted grain and a ghost like smokiness appears in the finish.

Notes: This could be a perfect pairing with a cigar or as a night cap or even pair it up with a rich chocolaty & caramel dessert. Strong armed with alcohol and tiny complex flavours bursting throughout. This one has to get better with more age, the alcohol still seems a bit too brash but again not over the top.

750ml bottle was $12.99 at the Dilly Deli in Cincinnati. Pours a clear, dark mahogany body topped with a skimpy beige head that quickly falls into spotty patch lacing. Aroma has a surprising chocolate essence, followed by toffee, dark fruits, and fresh white grapes. A mild note of smoky Scotch whiskey completes the bouquet. Mouthfeel is thick and full, with subdued carbonation. A bit fusel with alcohol as it warms. Taste is more chocolate than any other malty taste. Some scorched coffee notes mix with the bitter chocolate as a wave of dark fruits enters the picture. Becomes vinous and fusel as it warms to room temperature. Lots of rum soaked dark fruits toward the finish. The roasty chocolate and coffee seem out of place here. A bit of a struggle to finish as the big alcohol is anything but subtle. A slight disappointment, given the exceptional character of other Alesmith offerings I've been fortunate to sample.

Woo hoo, another Ale Smith selection available in on the east coast/Massachusetts! Heavy glass bottle, silver foil and resplendent . Pours rich mahogany, dark dark amber, under a long lasting creamy mocha head, leaves plenty of well developed lacing. Emits a lovely sweet malt nose. Speaking of sweet malt, this beer oozes over the top, luscious and enjoyable malts. Whole wheat toast, maple, milk chocolate, smoke, peat, layer after layer of malty yummyness. Makes you want to slather it on some pancakes and all is good. Go get some, enjoy it today or lay it down for a year or two.